Clouds Across the Sky
by Suffering Angel
Summary: Why do the Clouds float across the sky, she asked, the girl he was never to remember.


I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

_**Clouds Across the Sky**_

Staring up at the skies pointlessly and calling out the shapes formed in white was not something she tended to do often; in fact, truth be told, for the young girl of the tender age of five it was the first time she had the pleasure of experiencing the sweet, pointless waste of time. She was sprawled there on the soft, warm sand of the beach, away from it all on the small island used as a playground. No one else came by, no one else even knew where to look. It was just her, the beach, the waves, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the vast sky, spreading farther than even the sea...

"There... see?"

And the boy whose hand she was staring at as he pointed out the shapes floating above.

"Right there, above the trees... did you see that one?!" He asked, his voice - much like his eyes - radiant and lively as he turned to look at her. His smile was as honest as it was wide.

She found herself staring into the blue eyes all but mirroring her own before the smile graced her lips, making her puff out her pinkish cheeks.

"Un."

Even that one tiny sound made him be as happy as he could be.

~*~

"Say, Sora?" The girl began softly after a while in which both children kept staring upwards idly. The boy hummed questioningly as he scratched his nose before resting his hand on his stomach where it's been until then.

"What is it, Naminé?" He asked before turning to look at her.

She blew a blonde lock away from her eyes with a tiny frown before returning to stare at a passing cloud.

"Why do the clouds float across the sky?" She asked before turning to look back at him.

She found him blinking.

"Why... do the clouds..."

"Float across the sky." She finished the question, letting him cross his arms with a frown.

"That's... a good question."

"They do it all the time though", the girl replied, eyes open wide and intent. "They have to have a reason for it..."

"Well, they make rain, right?" Sora tried. "They have to move from place to place, otherwise it'll rain all the time in the same place!" He hummed, seemingly satisfied with his answer. The girl, however, still seemed doubtful.

"Wouldn't they just have to stop raining once in a while then?"

"Ah-" Sora realized his short-comings, but was fast to recover. "Then they must've been bored! Mmhm, really out of it so they moved on to the next interesting place after all these months here!" He concluded with a satisfied nod. "Can't blame them, really; staying all the time at the same place..."

She knew what he was about to say; it didn't make it hurt any less.

"It'd do the same thing!" He declared and punched a fist into the air, his grin wide and excited. "Me and Riku, we're gonna get there someday!"

His bravado hardly got the chance to last, seeing how no response came his way. He hardly expected another fist in the air, but the silence that lingered seemed all but uncalled for. Blinking, he turned to look at her, a worried frown on his somewhat chubby face. "Nami-"

He never even managed to finish the initial question as the girl pushed herself up and pulled her knees to her chest. Her expression was all but sealed as she stared off towards the horizon, her lips pursed slightly.

Worried, he pushed himself up as well so he could get a better look at her.

"Naminé?" He asked softly, voice tainted with concern. "What's wrong? Wha- what did I say?"

She turned to reply, yet chose instead to purse her lips tighter least she said something she regretted.

He frowned harder. "...I said something stupid, didn't I?"

Blue eyes fluttered close for a long moment before looking at matching cobalt spheres with an obvious touch of plea to them.

"You're... going to go away..."

The blink was aimed more at himself than at her. He said something like _that_ so carelessly... without even realizing it...

"Just like the clouds in spring..."

"You're coming with us!" The boy argued eagerly, all but with a touch of distress. "Wha, what kind of an adventure would it be without you, Naminé?!"

He was rewarded with the mere shadow of a smile that didn't last as she looked away.

"I can't fight. I get tired fast. I'm picky about food and can't sleep on rough surfaces. I bruise easily and get sick often." She let her words hang in the air and actually smiled more at his silence despite his distressed expression.

"You know it's all true. If I came along... I'd only be in your way."

"You definitely, absolutely won't!" He insisted; she could only shake her head.

"I will."

"Then I'll-"

"Still go... right?" She all but cooed, catching him off guard. "You promised... both of you. That you'll go away together."

He knew not how to reply. She let herself smile gently in return.

"See? You will. No doubt about it."

Sora shook his head, yet for the life of him he couldn't find a rebuttal to her accusation...

Until he glanced up.

The smile finally returned, as did the spark in his eyes. He let himself fall back down, arms crossed behind his head.

"Yeah, I guess." He hummed all but nonchalantly, not stopping even at the seemingly pained hunching of shoulders on Naminé's side. "But... that's ok too, right? I mean, sure, they'll go away on springtime, but comes next winter..."

His grin threatened to split his face.

"The clouds'll come back again."

Her eyes widened as she turned to stare down at him. He simply kept smiling on, unwavering.

"Even the clouds have places they want to return to", he explained, voice soft. "...and people they want to see again."

His gaze turned from the sky to meet her own, his eyes warm and affectionate.

"Just you wait. We'll go, and we'll come back - for sure. And when we do, we'll tell you all about it. We'll have so much to tell..."

She lowered her gaze at her semi clenched hand, hovering next to her chest. It was terrifying, knowing they'd go...

"Just..."

Yet despite it all, and despite it not being much, there was undeniable comfort in knowing that one simple fact he just stated.

"Just like rain."

_They'll definitely be back._

Sora let himself snicker as he held his hand out to her. "You bet! We're gonna get you soaked, so - wait for us, alright?!"

She finally managed an honest smile as she reached her hand back.

"As long as it takes."

Their hands never met.

Heavy shoes met the metallic floor repeatedly as the man clad in black and red made his way out of the massive room, content with the progress of his plan. "Remember, Naminé." He hummed, sounding utterly pleased with himself. "This is your _responsibility_."

The girl seemingly of fourteen pursed her lips as she stared up at the boy named after the sky as he resumed sleeping peacefully. Her responsibility... in other words -

Her fault.

She promised though, and she'd keep her promise. She'd fix this...

"No matter how long it takes."

And yet she knew he'd never understand those words as another Memory of Naminé broke apart from the Chain and sank into the Darkness of Sora's Heart.


End file.
